In Feb, 2008, I decided to get a AT&T bundle discount for DirectTV. I live in a duplex and the other tenants already had DirectTV, so the Tech just connected to their dish which was fine with me. In August, while walking around the back of the duplex I noticed the junction box covers (2) were on the ground exposing the cable connections. I tried to snap the covers back on and they would not close due cables between the two boxes were routed not behind the boxes but on the top side. As such, you cannot secure the covers because of two cables.

I call DirectTV and describe the problem. The young lady ask me if I could just nail a box of the two junction boxes??? I said NO and told her their tech had wired it and I wanted it fixed. She stated the 30 day warranty was up. She should work for Ford.

This experience has been going on from August till September and i'm not sure that it is done. First thing read the entire contract, small print and ALL. I say this because when you cancel even after your contract is done, you will have authorized them to charge the final bill to any credit or debit card you have on file with them. When you call to cancel they will tell you that they will prorate you bill and send you a bill for the final amount. I never got a bill and wasnt given the opportunity to pay the bill myself with the card of my choice. They take it upon themselves to chose which card you have on file to pay their final bill. They talk out of both sides of their mouths.

About a month before I'd cancel one of my 3 receivers. The told me they would send a box within 3 days for the return of the receiver. That box didnt come until I told them that they never sent it on the day I canceled. They said they would then send boxes for that one and the other 2 that I had now canceled. The box for the 2 came no problem and sent them on to them. Day later a box came for the single one. The model and all info was wrong. Knowing that they will charge you if they claim they dont get the receiver. I called and they said they would send the proper labling info. 3 days later fedex brings a second box for a receiver when the appropriate lable would have done. I boxed the receiver up and before I could get it sent back by Fedex they sent another box and lable for the same receiver. I sent the receiver in the 2nd box. Month later they send me a bill for the receiver claiming they never got it. I know that Fedex picked up the box. After over an hour on the phone with a customer service rep whose computer continuously shut down. She finally found the receiver and sounded as if it were my fault because their were so many boxes sent for the receiver. Thats why they claim they couldnt find it at first. Pretty damned sloppy huh? Thats not the end. Today September 12 I got a collections bill for the receiver amount. Can you believe that afster the rep told me that they were going to escalate the finding of the box that they sent the bill to an outside collection agency. I cant believe that they didnt charge the card again which would have sent the account into the red and caused an additional fee. Directv is very sloppy in their account closing practices. I was told that this would not show up on the credit report. I am going to wait 30 days to see if they are lying about that. If so, I plan to see about filing suit against them for fraud or something. The programming is excellent but closing the account is Hell. READ THE ENTIRE CONTRACT AND MAKE NOTE OF ALL CORRESPONDENCE.

We have been a long term customer of Direct TV. Every time you call in, no less than a 15 minute wait to speak to a LIVE, BREATHING person. On at least 4 different occassions this summer, (summer of 2008), we have called in, complained about the DVR system having problems with recorded shows, such as freezing up, skipping, hitting fast forward button and it goes back to beginning of show, etc, etc. Every time, we have done their "trouble shooting", and, it acts up every time. On Aug. 28, 2008, we called in again, done a complete system reset, AGAIN, and, the representative said the next time you call in, it will be replaced, no questions asked, no more trouble shooting. Called in on 9/7/2008, and, don't you know it, on hold forever, and, we need to do more trouble shooting. DIRECT TV could CARE LESS whether or not they were about to lose a long term customer because of THEIR faulty equiptment, they just wanted to hassle you even more for more trouble shooting on the same faulty equiptment as before. After lengthy trouble shooting, they finally agreed to replace the equiptment, but, no credit for our time of putting up with the customer NO SERVICE. If you have your choice of service, GO ELSEWHERE, DIRECT TV DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS, PERIOD, END OF STORY!!! P.S. I forgot to mention, that somehow, conveniently, the calls prior to 8/28/08 were not recorded.

Direct TV customers Beware

Having had our Direct TV discontinued we decided to switch to Cable for several reasons the first being every time we had a storm or snow we lost our connection, when we called about the service we were told wed have to pay a 80 Dollar’s for a service call to repair or readjust their satellite, the service man said it was OK, thus we had to continue to experience the continual disruption, when we signed up for this service some 14 years ago we had to purchase the receivers which we understood would be refunded when service was discontinued, we asked how to return this equipment we where told it was obsolete and they didn’t want the receivers back or their satellite dish, I wonder how many other consumers out there are using obsolete equipment and are receiving poor service. When we received our last Bill we didn’t pay on time and without authorization used a credit card number they had on file to pay the amount due, the card used wasn’t even the debtors, so they withdrew money from someone who wasn’t even a customer. The point to this is that Direct TV will withdraw their fees without notice or permission to satisfy their Bill, but they will not honor their customers with updated equipment and continuous service. So Please contact Direct TV and insist they update your equipment and don’t pay with a Credit or Debit card, or personal check because they will transfer the needed funds without notice from these financial instruments.

Beware when signing up for Direct TV. I recently signed up for Direct TV. Two days later, I called to cancel because the service turned out to be inferior to my cable service. When I spoke to Direct TV, they informed that service could only be cancelled within the first 24 hours. After that, I would have to pay a two-year commitment fee (over $400) if I wanted to cancel the service. Additionally, although I initially signed up for the service by calling Direct TV directly, they told me the service was actually installed by a third party, and therefore the cancellation issue out of their (Direct TV's) hands.

First, I was never informed of the 24 hour cancellation policy, nor of the two-year commitment when I signed up. Nor was I informed that the installation service was being performed by an independent third party not directly affiliated with Direct TV -and whose business name I don't even know - which means that any issues outside of the satellite service itself are between me and the unknown third party installation service provider.

This is a crooked business practice that makes you a slave to Direct TV, leaving the consumer with no other options once he/she is trapped in their web. Buyers beware. Direct TV is inferior to cable service in every way possible!